Projecting NFL Teams Most Likely to Tank for 2027 as Dolphins Continue Teardown

The Miami Dolphins made headlines earlier this week when they traded standout wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos. Waddle is just the latest former Miami star to be sent elsewhere this offseason, as the Dolphins also traded Minkah Fitzpatrick and released both Tyreek Hill and Tua Tagovailoa.

Miami has made it clear that it is tearing down its roster and looking to build for the future. While the Dolphins won't say so publicly, they'll be perfectly happy if the rebuilding process also leads to a top draft pick in 2027—and other teams certainly feel similarly.

Here, we'll examine the five teams most likely to chase draft positioning instead of wins in 2026, the moves they've made this offseason that suggest as much, and why any team would already be focused on next year's draft.

Why Tank for 2027?

AP Photo/Stephen Spillman

Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) celebrated a touchdown against Texas A&M on Nov. 28

Many fans may wonder why franchises would be willing to punt on the 2026 season and build a roster with 2027 in mind. The simple answer is that next year's draft class is expected to feature multiple franchise-caliber quarterback prospects, while the 2026 class is shallow at the QB position.

In the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's latest mock draft, Indiana's Fernando Mendoza was the only quarterback to go in Round 1. He's widely expected to go to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 overall, meaning every other team in the QB market will probably be out of luck in April.

Prospects like Alabama's Ty Simpson and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier do have NFL potential, but Mendoza is viewed as the only surefire first-round talent.

Next year's class, on the other hand, may feature the likes of Texas star Arch Manning, Oregon standout Dante Moore, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, and Baylor signal-caller DJ Lagway.

"It's shaping up to be potentially one of the greatest quarterback classes in the history of the NFL draft," NFL draft analyst Todd McShay said on The McShay Show in December (h/t Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek).

With several potential franchise quarterbacks at the top of the 2027 draft pool, teams won't necessarily have to battle for the No. 1 overall pick—which can be a challenge, even for teams devoid of talent—to have a shot at changing their quarterback fortunes.

Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur

The Arizona Cardinals drafted Kyler Murray first overall in 2019, and while he had some early success, Murray showed in recent years that he wasn't the franchise QB the Cardinals were looking for.

Arizona released Murray at the start of the new league year, signaling the start of a new quarterback search.

The Cardinals did add quarterback Gardner Minshew this offseason, and he'll likely back up Jacoby Brissett in 2026. However, those two are placeholders at best, and Arizona is very likely to chase a quarterback early in 2027. Its current roster suggests as much.

Arizona hasn't been completely inactive during free agency, but incoming players like Tyler Allgeier, Kendrick Bourne, and Andrew Billings are largely backups and temporary starters. Guard Isaac Seumalo does project as a long-term addition, though building up the offensive line for the Cardinals' next quarterback makes plenty of sense.

The Cardinals have talented players like Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, and Marvin Harrison Jr. However, they won just three games in 2026, and they've done nothing to dramatically upgrade their roster this offseason. A year from now, head coach Mike LaFleur should have a shot at getting "his" quarterback through the draft.

Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders

Like the Cardinals, the Cleveland Browns are starting over with a new head coach—in their case, former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Cleveland's primary goal in 2026 will be figuring out if they have a viable starting quarterback on the roster.

"I don't know why it wouldn't be an open competition," Monken said, per Kelsey Russo of the team's official website.

The Browns have yet to add to their quarterback room, meaning, barring a move during the draft, their starters in 2026 will be some combination of Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and whatever is left of Deshaun Watson.

This doesn't suggest that many wins are imminent. Gabriel and Sanders both had their fair shares of rookie struggles in 2025, and Watson hasn't played like a functioning starter since arriving in Cleveland. If one of them surprises and gives the Browns some long-term hope, great, but this feels like a bridge plan to 2027.

So does Cleveland's foray into free agency. The Browns' marquee additions are offensive linemen Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson, and Elgton Jenkins. Adding them was necessary because most of Cleveland's starting linemen hit free agency or were released. Drafting a quarterback in 2027 without a capable offensive line would also be organizational malpractice.

Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Ian Maule

Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak

The Las Vegas Raiders are a bit of an outlier here because they shouldn't be targeting a quarterback in 2027—unless, of course, Mendoza has a disaster of a rookie season a la Josh Rosen in 2018. However, that doesn't necessarily mean winning will, or should, be Las Vegas' No. 1 goal this season.

The Raiders will be looking to develop Mendoza and set him up for early success. Adding the likes of center Tyler Linderbaum and wide receiver Jalen Nailor—not to mention new head coach Klint Kubiak—should help accomplish that goal. And while incoming players like Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker will help Las Vegas' defense, too, the roster is probably still a year or more away from contention.

And the Raiders appear to be perfectly OK with that timeline. Otherwise, they wouldn't have agreed to trade star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby to the Ravens in a since-rescinded deal.

Make no mistake, Las Vegas won't actively try to lose the way other teams on this list might. However, they could find big benefits in landing an early draft pick. That could lead to an elite prospect like Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith or give the Raiders a chance to ransom the pick to a QB-needy team for a massive haul.

If things don't click with Mendoza early, don't be surprised if the Raiders coast to a high draft pick and look to turn the proverbial corner in 2027.

Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley

The Dolphins aren't hiding the fact that they're tearing their team down to the studs. They have a new general manager in Jon-Eric Sullivan and a new head coach in Jeff Hafley. Since last year's trade deadline, they've also parted with talented players like Waddle, Hill, Fitzpatrick, Jaelan Phillips, and Bradley Chubb.

Right now, Miami has one of the most underwhelming rosters in the entire NFL.

The question here isn't whether the Dolphins are prepared to tank—they clearly are—but rather why they'd bring in quarterback Malik Willis on a three-year, $67.5 million contract that includes $45 million guaranteed.

Well, there are a couple of reasons why bringing in Willis made sense. For one, the 2022 third-round pick has flashed tremendous upside in limited action with the Green Bay Packers. He's only made six career starts, but the 26-year-old Willis could be Miami's long-term starter if his performances in Green Bay are an accurate sign of his ceiling.

Secondly, Hafley and Sullivan both came from the Packers and are comfortable with Willis as a starter. Even if Willis doesn't prove to be franchise material, he can help the Dolphins accurately evaluate incoming offensive talent—the B/R Scouting Department, for example, mocked USC receiver Makai Lemon to Miami at No. 11.

If Willis excels, the Dolphins can consider flipping their 2027 draft pick, just as the Raiders might. If he doesn't, Miami can use him as a bridge starter while preparing a 2027 rookie to take the reins.

The Dolphins can cut Willis before the final year of his contract and save $13.6 million in 2028 cap space.

New York Jets

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn

If the New York Jets were being honest, they'd admit that they tried tanking this past season. They traded standouts Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner at the in-season deadline, acquiring a ton of draft capital and ensuring they finished with one of the league's worst records.

Had Dante Moore not opted to return to Oregon, New York would probably be taking its quarterback of the future at No. 2 overall next month. Now, it'll have to wait until 2027, when the Jets will have three first-round selections.

Though New York added players like cornerback Nahshon Wright, guard Dylan Parham, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, and kicker Cade York, it still has one of the more underwhelming rosters in the league. Their trade for Geno Smith isn't a long-term quarterback play either; he'll be a pure placeholder, barring a massive surprise.

The Jets will almost certainly go through the motions in 2026 while evaluating young talent and preparing to make a run at a quarterback in the 2027 draft—which may involve packaging those three first-rounders for a move to the very top.

The big question in New York is whether head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey will be picking the next quarterback after two seasons of intentional futility.